Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Cutler, Jasper Y ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 12:50 am Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County JASPER Y. CUTLER, who since 1867 has owned and occupied a farm in Homer Township, was born in Burlington, Vt., April 25, 1825, a son of Lyman M. and Lucy (Hamilton) Cutler, natives of Connecticut and Vermont respectively. His father moved to Vermont when a young man, and from there went to Madison County, N.Y., thence to Erie County, Ohio, and in 1846 settled in Chicago, where he died in 1851, at sixty-one years of age. In the various localities where he resided he did much toward clearing and improving farm land, and at the same time he conducted a tanning business on a small scale. In politics he was a ''rock-ribbed'' Democrat, ever true to party principles. He married a daughter of David Hamilton, for years a successful farmer in Vermont. Mrs. Lucy Cutler died January 19, 1880, when eighty-one years of age. Of her eight children, five grew to maturity, viz.: Lyman G., who was born September 12, 1820, and died in Chicago, May 19, 1858; Edmund S., who was born April 14, 1823, and is now living in Denver, Colo.; Jasper Y.; Azro C., of Joliet, who was born September 13, 1827; and Lucy Ann, who was born October 25, 1830, and died July 16, 1852. When the family moved from Vermont to New York our subject was two years of age. He was reared in New York and Ohio, and received a common-school education. With his brother, Lyman G., in 1844 he left Ohio and drove with a team to Peoria, Ill., where an uncle resided. In that city he was taken ill and was unable to engage in work of any kind for about six months. After partially regaining his health he secured employment in caring for horses in a stage stable. In July of the same year he took a stage-team and drove the stages through his section of Illinois, continuing with the same company for six years, meantime making a number of trips from St. Louis to Chicago. His next position was in a lumber-yard owned by Foss & Bros., in Chicago, where he was employed for two years. Through the influence of his employer, Mr. Foss, he was elected a constable for the city of Chicago, and he also served as deputy sheriff under William L. Church. For some years afterward, until 1860, he was a member of the Chicago police force, in which he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. When he first became connected with the force it had but twelve officers. At the time of the riot in Chicago, April 21, 1855, he was in the thickest of the fight and bore himself with such courage and fidelity that, in grateful appreciation of his services at the time, the citizens of Chicago afterward presented him with a gold medal. In 1860 Mr. Cutler resigned as a police officer in order to accept a position with the government as steamboat inspector at the Chicago custom-house, where he remained until 1866. During the Civil war, being already in the government employ, he was ineligible to army service, but his loyalty to our country and his anxiety for the success of the Union cause led him to employ a substitute to enlist in his stead. In 1867 he removed from Chicago to this county, and purchased ninety acres in Homer Township, where he has since followed general farm pursuits. Here, as in Chicago, he has been interested in local matters. He has always been stanch in his allegiance to Republican principles, voting the straight ticket at every election. In the office of highway commissioner he rendered efficient service. A friend of the public schools, he served as director for years, meantime promoting the cause of education in his locality. He was one of the organizers of the Homer Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of which he was a director for years, and the welfare of which he still has deeply at heart. The marriage of Mr. Cutler, May 5, 1852, united him with Ann, daughter of John Felton, of Michigan. Five children comprise their family: Ella E., wife of Charles H. Peck; Carrie L., who married George Gilman; Frank J. and Charles N., who are farmers in Homer Township; and John F., who was born in 1878, and is still with his parents. The oldest son, Frank J., was born August 12, 1861, and married Hattie, a sister of George Gilman. They have one son, Ralph. A young man of enterprise and ability, he has become one of the prominent agriculturists of the township. He deals in market cattle and hogs and also owns seventy milch cows, making large shipments of milk every day to Chicago. For several years he served as collector, and at this writing he holds the office of highway commissioner. The second son, Charles N., born in 1872, married Lucy Young, and they have two children, Laura and an infant son. Additional Comments: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/cutler1051gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb